Apple Cider Vinegar Green Tea Refresher

Finally back to the blog after a week of camping in Canada and traveling back home for a friend’s wedding. It felt so good to be up at the campground with friends and some fam. And because I don’t have an international phone plan, I barely turned on my phone at all! It was pretty awesome, actually. I kind of miss the days being up there when NO ONE had service. You know, when you’re forced to sit around and play cards, or color in Winnie the Pooh coloring books. But I did turn on my phone to take some pictures…

Georgian Bay

#nofilter <3

We had such a good time visiting with our Canadians 🙂 Enjoyed our morning coffee and tea around the picnic tables, spent some time on the (windy) beach, went on a hike. It felt so good to get outdoors, plus we had some gorgeous weather. I also played around with the DSLR on a pit stop during a bike ride…

f/22, ISO 100, 1/10

f/8, ISO 100, 1/160

f/22, ISO 200, 1/15

(Still have a lot to learn, but it was fun playing around with the settings!)

And of course we ate some tasty food, and camping treats. I think all of my camping friends would agree that we totally eat better up there, compared to at home. Not sure why, but we definitely do. Between making big breakfasts, and our friends bringing a homemade ice cream maker, we certainly don’t go hungry! My mom also brings up a goodie bag with miniature chocolates, pretty much always in a teal tote. As soon as I saw the teal tote, I knew I had to check out the stash. And of course she knew exactly what I was doing, and just laughed at me. 🙂 Kit Kats remind me of my Nana, so I had to have one (or two) in her honor. But by the end of the week, I think my tummy had had enough…

Which brings me to this lovely, refreshing apple cider vinegar drink. YES, vinegar. No, we aren’t drinking the vinegar by the ounces, nor are we drinking it straight even. It’s actually only a tablespoon, added to 8oz of cooled brewed green tea, a little bit of water, and some ice.

There are several health benefits claims regarding raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, but not a ton of scientific evidence out there yet. Some of the main claims are:

Helps improve insulin sensitivity (which can also help aid in weight loss)

I’ve been drinking this for over a year now, and I have it almost every day. I’ve found it makes me feel less bloated, and just helps me feel better all around. I like to drink it between meals, which also helps keep my appetite in check–you know when you start feeling hungry an hour after you ate, but you know you’re not actually hungry and you probably just need some water. 😉 Sometimes I’ll even use it as a pre-workout drink. And for the husband, he has said it clears up his nasal cavity allowing him to breathe better, and it has also helped him with heartburn. I’ve also used it as a facial toner, on burns, and as a foot soak for plantar fasciitis. Call me a hippie! 😉 But seriously, I kind of love this stuff…

Some may call it an acquired taste, and it took me a while to figure out how I like it best. I tried lemon water, using honey vs. stevia, and even adding cinnamon… But adding the cooled green (or herbal) tea is what I’ve come to like best.

For this recipe, my sweetener of choice is glycerite (almost like stevia). If you’re not a big fan of any kind of stevia, you could also sub honey or agave, and adjust to your desired sweetness. If using a thick liquid sweetener like honey, I do recommend using a blender to make sure it is well emulsified. I DON’T recommend drinking the liquid straight, or even with just water. You will most likely NOT enjoy it. And, drinking it straight can damage your esophagus. So if you plan on taking ACV as a supplement and don’t want the fuss of making a drink, please add a substantial amount of water! But I really do recommend giving this drink a try. The husband literally just walked in, took a sip and said “Ooh, tastes like Kool-Aid!” I’ll take it! 😉

Notes

*Make sure your apple cider vinegar is raw and unfiltered, also known as containing “the mother”.*My favorite tea right now is Tazo’s Organic Bramblewine Green Tea. But I’ve also made this ACV drink with Tazo’s Passion Herbal Tea, which is also very good and does a wonderful job of masking the vinegar taste. I’ve been able to find Tazo tea at Target.*If you’re sensitive to stevia, try the glycerite. I’ve found it doesn’t have such a harsh after-taste, in my opinion. You can also always sub honey, agave, coconut sugar, or another natural sweetener of choice. I recommend using a small hand blender or shaker cup though, to make sure the sweetener gets evenly distributed.

First of all, your pictures are awesome! It looks like you had a great time! There is a place we go up north where I lose phone signal and it drives me crazy at first, then I accept it and relax more than ever! Second, this drink sounds so good. I haven’t learned to like ACV, but it sounds great mixed with tea. It looks so refreshing for this warm weather!

I’ve tried (and failed) to get myself to like ACV before, but I’ve never thought to combine it with tea. Definitely going to give this a go – I do think that the times I’ve stuck to it in the past, it has helped me feel generally ‘better’ (whether that’s real or imagined is up for discussion of course!) but I’ve never ever enjoyed it before 😛

Oh let me know how you make out, Sophie! As mentioned in the post, Tazo Passion tea is definitely a winner in my book. But I’ve also had it with the Orange Blossom, I believe it is called. And I definitely recommend a sweetener! It helps 🙂

Isn’t Georgian Bay beautiful?! Definitely a gem in Ontario. Your drink sounds unique and refreshing, I am always looking for healthy drink ideas in the summer to keep my liquid intake up and to have a change from water.

Just had to say this is great, I’m drinking it right now, i was curious and wanted to look online to see if it could be mixed with green tea. Previously I was drinking two separate drinks. My green tea and honey. And then my acv in water. I use honey as sweetener. I know most don’t like the taste of apple cider vinegar but it doesn’t bother me. I guess I’m weird lol but I’m definitely going to drink it like this now!

Welcome back! It looks like your trip was gorgeous! And so nice to completely disconnect. I think we all need that from time to time 🙂 I’m really intrigued by your drink. It’s a combination I’ve never considered, but you may have peaked my interest enough for me to try it!

Thanks, Lauren! And I am so glad I was able to change your mind about ACV. 🙂 I just had this drink this morning! I think as long as you get a nice quality tea you enjoy, and add that touch of sweetener, you’ll be loving it in no time. 😉

You know, I’ve been trying to figure out a less disgusting way to down my ACV! I may have to try this. 😉

Beautiful photographs, by the way. I run my own biz as a wedding photographer and wish I made myself get out more just to photograph landscapes. It is how I started in the first place! I think you’re doing a great job with those settings, girl! Keep up the good work!

Aw, thanks so much Melissa! Your words mean more than you know. 🙂 And I am so glad I could (possibly) change your mind about ACV. 😉 Do let me know if you try it! I had mine this morning with Tazo Passion Tea. 🙂 Thanks for checking out my blog!

Surprisingly, my Doctor said to try the ACV & green tea, in a drink of course. The recipe he mentioned to start, had 1 tTSP of ACV, ( Mothered ), a slice of ginger, a TSP of honey. Being a farm guy I light off my Kureig on largest cup, with the ingredients in the cup, and then I chill it in the freezer for a bit. If you put a spoon in the cup it chills faster. That gives me time to polish up for the day. Then the tea, out early, not so hungry. stirring it well helps mine the ingredients. I also am going to try mint, verse the Ginger, although he said the ginger has health properties as well. Any way, thanks for being on line, I have little time to cogitate over issues, so use the net for suggestions like this.